Whether you have a residential parking space or a commercial parking lot, asphalt maintenance and repair is absolutely necessary to maximize your pavement’s lifespan. Contrary to popular opinion, maintaining asphalt pavement is both cost-effective and time-efficient.
The cost of repaving damaged asphalt is increasing by the day, which means any dollar spent on maintaining your pavement is akin to saving money in the long run.
Newly paved asphalt is both eye-catching and durable. However, all pavement begins to deteriorate from day one. Weather conditions in Dallas, Texas, as well as traffic, water penetration, and daily wear and tear damage your parking lot over time.
Without proper maintenance, surface degradation will happen faster. Your pavement may last 15 to 20 years without any maintenance, but it will be full of large cracks and potholes, especially in the later years.
However, proper maintenance and timely repairs will rid you of visible signs of damage and help you avoid potential hazards and liabilities, while adding an additional 5 to 10 years to the pavement.
At Doctor Asphalt, we help property owners and managers in Dallas, Texas, with high-quality asphalt services that last. Click here to learn more about our services.
Here are some of the best ways to maintain (and repair) your asphalt on a budget.
1. Sealcoating
During the initial years, asphalt pavement can survive general degradation without requiring significant repair work.
However, as the asphalt gets older, it requires protection from water, oil, chemicals, weather conditions, and tire damage. Sealcoating provides that protective layer and also restores the shiny, dark appearance of new asphalt.
Sealcoating should be applied every 3 to 5 years, always during the warmer months. Doing so will prolong the life of your asphalt parking lot, and will save you $2 on average per square foot as compared to repaving.
2. Cracksealing
Cracks can occur on asphalt pavement surfaces due to a host of factors, such as weather, erosion, thermal stresses, etc. Cracks allow water and moisture to penetrate into the sub-grade material and cause severe damage.
This can be prevented by cracksealing, another cost-effective routine maintenance procedure where cracks are filled with sealants. Once cracks are filled and sealed, they become airtight, which minimizes oxidation.
If cracks are left untreated, oxidation and water damage can result in even larger cracks and potholes that will require patching.
3. Infrared Patching
Finally, we have infrared patching, which is yet another inexpensive method of fixing cracks and potholes on asphalt surfaces. Moreover, infrared repairs take half the time typical paving would take, making life easy for property owners/managers in Texas.
Infrared patching works by heating and melting existing asphalt and then mixing in new cement. The mixture is then poured over damaged areas on the pavement and spread evenly. Thermal bonding occurs between the old and new asphalt, creating a seamless finish once it is cooled.
And since old asphalt is part of the mix, infrared also becomes an environmentally-friendly asphalt repair technique.
To sum up, asphalt maintenance procedures prove cheaper than repaving at any given time. If you want to learn more about sealcoating and infrared patching or explore further options, click here to consult Doctor Asphalt.
